What follows is a quarterly update. We just wrapped our quarterly MEC meeting. Tuesday, your MEC made one of the more difficult decisions we have faced in a while. It was difficult because we had to choose our next MEC Chairman. We had three overly qualified candidates who presented themselves exceptionally well. In the end, we selected Captain John Cardaci as the MEC Chairman-elect. Additionally, we selected Captain Don Ray as the MEC Secretary Treasurer-elect. Together, with your elected block representatives, we are prepared to lead the FedEx pilot group into the future with the focus on fixing our retirement and preparing for openers for Contract 2021. We are only 36 months away from openers. The time to prepare is here.

We have been receiving great feedback on the Focus Meetings that are drilling down on the Variable Benefit Pension plan. If you have not signed up yet, please consider doing so. It is imperative that we all understand the basics of the plan concept. The pilots will receive an individual modeler soon. You will get a chance to enter your data and see what benefit will be produced in both the current A-Plan and the Variable Plan. After this, we will survey the pilots again, review these results and decide if there’s interest from the pilots. At that point, the MEC will determine if the Variable Benefit Plan Concept should be placed into a proposal for negotiation. Ultimately, there would be a vote on a Letter of Agreement in which the pilots would decide if this new pension plan is the fix we need.

To date, the ASAP program has had over 24,000 reports. In the last year alone, we had 60 FedEx pilots saved from certificate action from the FAA because of the timely submission of ASAP reports. Over the life of the program, only 6 reports have been rejected. ASAP gets us the data we need to address situations that occur on the line. When in doubt, please file a report. If a computer is not immediately available, you can call the ASAP Hotline at 901-224-5203. Doing this will extend the filing deadline out an additional 48 hours domestically and an additional 24 hours internationally.

Speaking of reports, did you know that you do not have to call in fatigued to file a fatigue report? If there are pairings that really knock your socks off to complete then please file a fatigue report. If we don’t have the data, we don’t have a problem. So even though you are tired, please take the time to file a report.

The new secondary line system is continuing to expand into additional fleets. Please review the FCIF and watch the webinars that explain the new bidding procedures for the new secondary line system.

We continue our efforts to get the Contract Answer Team (CAT) up and running. We are still in need of more volunteers. More information on this will be posted in an upcoming Positive Rate Weekly.

We hope everyone will start getting more and more involved and informed on where we are heading as a pilot group. We have big issues facing us as we prepare for Contract 2021. The time is now, GET INVOLVED! See you on the line.